Smiles grew on the faces of the Tigak people as NTM missionary Phil Shively taught. That seemed like a good sign.
But the smiles inched wider and wider. Several snickers escaped. A guffaw blurted out. And someone couldn't stop giggling.
That didn't seem like a good sign.
Phil stopped.
He wasn't really surprised. He figured he'd said something funny. After years of learning how the Tigaks of Papua New Guinea think and express themselves -- hard work so he could teach competently in their language -- Phil knew he'd never be done learning. And that meant he'd never stop giving the Tigaks something to laugh about.
"What exactly did I say?" he thought to himself.
The laughter didn't subside.
It erupted.
Then one man shouted, "We don't have to live in fear!"
"We can't lose what Jesus gave us!" exclaimed another.
Smiles and laughter and tears of joy rolled on and on. This was indeed a good sign. They got it. They had known salvation came from Christ. But now they realized that just as they did nothing to get salvation, they could do nothing to lose it.
After Phil closed the meeting in prayer, he knew the real celebration was just beginning. The Tigaks were free to worship, to live wholeheartedly for Christ -- not out of obligation, but in love.
"When I heard you pray," Paska later told him, "I was trying to hold my stomach back from crying. I was so happy!"
